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Daily COVID-19 and Migration Digest Thursday, June 11, 2020 Headline: ACLU files lawsuit against border coronavirus restrictions Source: CNN Date: June 10, 2020 Notes: “The American Civil Liberties Union, along with two other immigrant advocacy organizations, filed the first lawsuit Tuesday against stringent border restrictions related to coronavirus that largely bar migrants from entering the United States.” Headline: How Afghan refugees are helping Turkey fight coronavirus Source: Al Jazeera Date: June 10, 2020 Notes: 12 Afghani refugees and local volunteers have collaborated to produce and deliver soap and face masks to state hospitals, migrant health centers, and NGO, to aid in Turkey’s fight against COVID-19. Headline: Charity boats resume Mediterranean migrant rescue after two-month Covid-19 break Source: France 24 Date: June 11, 2020 Notes: “Two charity boats have headed back to the Mediterranean after a two-month hiatus in migrant rescue operations, as humanitarian groups await a new wave of arrivals.”

Headline: With undocumented families excluded from coronavirus aid, immigrant organizations

step in to help keep food on the table

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer

Date: June 11, 2020

Notes: While federal coronavirus aid programs have excluded undocumented immigrants across Pennsylvania, a new fund aims to provide direct cash assistances to these families in need. Headline: IOM Ethiopia assists hundreds of returning COVID-19 affected migrants Source: IOM Date: June 9, 2020 Notes: Author Addis Ababa reports on the thousands of irregular and undocumented migrants in Lebanon who have lost their livelihoods due to COVID-19 and the economic crisis, and how many have begun to return home to Ethiopia. Headline: Mounting Hunger in the Sahel: The Unintended Impact of COVID-19 Prevention Source: Refugees International Date: June 11, 2020 Notes: This issue brief assesses the risks associated with adding a pandemic to a worsening crisis: widespread hunger amid the Sahel. The brief explores the impact of COVID-19 preventative measures on hunger, and provides recommendations for the governments of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. Headline: Ethiopia Races to Stave Off Coronavirus in Refugee Camps Source: Voice of America Date: June 11, 2020 Notes: Tens of thousands of refugees from Eritrea are at risk of contracting COVID-19 after the first case was identified in one of Ethiopia’s largest refugee camps. Author Simon Marks cites that four of the camps, housing approximately 100,000 refugees, have conditions ideal for spread of the virus. Headline: Federal judge briefly stops US from expelling migrant teen Source: Washington Post Date: June 10, 2020

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Notes: “A federal judge has temporarily stopped President Donald Trump’s administration from expelling a teenager to Honduras under a policy enacted during the coronavirus pandemic that didn’t give the teen a chance under federal law to stay in the United States.” Headline: Bangladesh urged to lift Rohingya internet ban as Covid-19 rumours swirl Source: The Guardian Date: June 11, 2020 Notes: “Rohingya leaders have urged Bangladesh to lift an internet ban imposed on a million refugees in the city of Cox’s Bazar, warning that rumours and panic over Covid-19 is deterring people from getting tested.”

Compiled by Sabeen Rokerya

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Daily COVID-19 and Migration Digest Wednesday, June 3, 2020 Headline: First Rohingya Refugee Dies From Coronavirus in Bangladesh Source: Al Jazeera Date: June 2, 2020 Notes: An elderly Rohingya refugee is the first to die from COVID-19 in Bangladesh, reports a senior official from the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commission. He was living in Kutupalong camp in Cox’s Bazar. Headline: In Minneapolis, African Refugees See American Dream In Tatters Source: Channel News Asia Date: June 2, 2020 Notes: “African refugees living in Minneapolis were already struggling with their ‘American dream’ when George Floyd died in police custody. Now their dream is in tatters and they have joined their African American "brothers" in the streets to protest racism in their adopted homeland.” Headline: UN Chief Underlines Need To Protect Refugees And Migrants In COVID-19 Pandemic Source: UN News Date: June 3, 2020 Notes: UN Chief, António Guterres, reflected on global unity to fight the pandemic while buffering its

impact on refugees, migrants, and internally displaced people for improved recovery, “’An inclusive public

health and socio-economic response will help suppress the virus, restart our economies and advance the

Sustainable Development Goals,’ Mr. Guterres explained.”

Headline: Conflict And COVID-19 Adds Up To A Crisis Within A Crisis In Libya Source: Médecins Sans Frontieres Date: June 2, 2020 Notes: Libya is undergoing escalating conflict while the COVID-19 outbreak exacerbates their healthcare crisis. Intensification of conflict has resulted in aerial attacks and indiscriminate shelling, and several hospitals have been targeted. It is also unclear how refugees, asylum seekers, and displaced persons in urban settings and detention centers will have access to healthcare services during COVID-19. Headline: UN Expresses Concern Over Greece's Refugee Deportation Process Source: Daily Sabah Date: June 3, 2020 Notes: “The UNHCR said that the government-arranged forced exit of some 9,000 recognized refugees

from Greece's reception system, which began Monday, is a "premature" move before they have effective

access to employment and social welfare schemes.”

Headline: Tents and Razor Wire: Cyprus Struggles With Migrant Influx Source: 24Matins UK Date: June 3, 2020 Notes: Authorities in Cyprus are giving asylum seekers the option of moving into an overcrowded camp

or return to their country of origin, citing financial restraints with housing migrants in hotels. “Since the

migrant “Balkans route” from Turkey to central Europe was blocked in 2015, asylum applications in

Cyprus have soared — from 2,253 that year to 13,648 in 2019, the interior ministry says.”

Headline: Look Back and Learn: How Past Pandemic and Epidemics Inform COVID-19 Response. Source: The New Humanitarian Date: June 3, 2020

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Notes: This piece walks through approaches from the last 25 years pandemic and epidemic responses. They list eight reoccurring themes found in the Ebola, SARS, Cholera, and HIV/AIDs responses, Headline: Leaving No One Behind: Refugee Inclusion in the World Bank’s Response to Covid-19 Source: IRC Date: June 2, 2020 Notes: The IRC has released a policy brief offering five key actions to the World Bank and shareholders for meaningful inclusion of displaced populations in national COVID-19 response plans and activities. Headline: South Africa: COVID-19 - Bank Accused of Freezing Asylum Seekers' Accounts During Lockdown Source: All Africa Date: June 3, 2020 Notes: At least ten accounts in the First National Bank belonging to asylum seekers have been frozen, affecting access to food and rent. The Department of Home Affairs had issued a statement that asylum seekers with visas expiring during the lockdown period will not be penalized or arrested.

Compiled by Rocio Rodriguez Casquete

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Daily COVID-19 and Migration Digest Thursday, June 4, 2020 Headline: Europe’s Far-Right Exploits COVID-19 for Anti-Refugee Propaganda Source: Balkan Insight Date: June 4, 2020 Notes: This piece speaks on right-wing propaganda claiming refugees and migrants are carriers of COVID-19. They note rhetoric from Matteo Salvini, Italy’s former interior minister and leader of the right-wing League who has openly accused African migrants of bringing COVID-19 to Italy. Headline: Lockdown in the Calais Camps: British Volunteer, 18, Reveals ‘Hard Battle’ Source: Daily Mail Date: June 4, 2020 Notes: A British volunteer shares the conditions at the Calais Camp where response has shifted to providing food for the asylum seekers because of a lack of donations and resistance from local shop keepers to sell to refugees. Headline: Scared From COVID-19 Tests, Rohingya Refugees Flee Bangladesh Camps Source: Daily Sabah Date: June 4, 2020 Notes: It is reported two Rohingya who have tested positive for COVID-19 have left quarantine for fear of transfer to an isolated island in the Bay of Bengal. Note this news source is known as pro-government and uses language that vilifies the Rohingya refugees. See here for the original reporting. Headline: The Latest: Virus in Pregnant Refugee Quarantines Greek Camp Source: The Associated Press Date: June 4, 2020 Notes: “Authorities in northern Greece have placed a refugee camp with about 1,500 residents under a 14-day quarantine after a pregnant Syrian woman living there tested positive for the coronavirus.”

Headline: Coronavirus: Canada Stigmatizes, Jeopardizes Essential Migrant Workers

Source: The Conversation

Date: June 3, 2020

Notes: This piece breaks down the COVID-19 risk for migrant workers through enforced 14-day

quarantines in crowded areas with insufficient sanitation, ventilation, cooking amenities, and

communication access. Other migrating persons are not subjected to similar quarantine.

Headline: COVID-19 Cases Spike In South Sudan; IRC Calls For End To Political Standoff

Inhibiting Country’s Response

Source: IRC

Date: June 2, 2020

Notes: “The humanitarian crisis in South Sudan is deepening as the double emergency created by the

COVID-19 pandemic adds to a streak of hazards,” said Caroline Sekyewa, IRC country director. “An

escalation of violence between communities, a COVID-19 induced economic crisis, recent flooding, an

oncoming plague of desert locusts, and a drastic drop in oil revenue have converged to exacerbate a

legacy of disease, hunger and displacement.”

Headline: Rescued Migrants Stranded on Chartered Maltese Tourist Boats Source: Star Tribune Date: June 3, 2020

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Notes: Migrants rescued from human traffickers’ in the Central Mediterranean in late April are waiting resettlement in Europe. Over 400 migrants from other rescue operations are being kept in cruise vessels off Malta. Headline: Policy Brief: COVID-19 and People on the Move Source: The United Nations Date: June 3, 2020 Notes: This Policy Brief examines opportunities to reimagine human mobility and a collective response through inclusive public health and socio-economic response, protecting human rights, and inclusion of people on the move in solutions. Headline: Could Covid-19 Mean the End of Asylum Law in the United States? Source: The Nation Date: June 3, 2020 Notes: This piece examines the threat “pandemic-inspired exclusions” policies instated by the U.S. play on xenophobia while emboldening other countries to implement similar policies.

Compiled by Rocio Rodriguez Casquete

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Daily COVID-19 and Migration Digest Friday, June 5, 2020 Headline: News comment by UN Refugee Agency’s Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, Gillian Triggs, on the UN Secretary-General’s policy briefing on People on the Move Source: UNHCR Date: June 3, 2020 Notes: UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, Gillian Triggs, comments on the Secretary General’s policy briefing on COVID-19 and People on the Move, stating: “The key to response and recovery to the COVID-19 pandemic is an inclusive public health and socio-economic response. The response to COVID-19 and protecting the human rights of forcibly displaced and stateless people are not mutually exclusive.” See related Policy Briefing: UN Policy Brief: COVID-19 and People on the Move Headline: Known unknowns: The challenge of collecting COVID-19 data in Venezuela

Source: The New Humanitarian

Date: June 4, 2020

Notes: A lack of reliable information about COVID-19 in Venezuela has hampered the NGO response,

which has already struggled with restrictions on movement and a pre-existing gasoline shortage. The

Government of Venezuela stopped publishing health statistics in 2017 and has attempted to censor

health workers and journalists who have sought to document the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

Headline: Refugee camp in northern Greece quarantined after Covid-19 infection Source: Ekathimerini Date: June 4, 2020 Notes: A refugee camp in northern Greece has been quarantined by authorities after a pregnant woman tested positive for COVID-19. Officials say that they are testing all camp residents. Headline: US: Suspend Deportations During Pandemic Source: Human Rights Watch Date: June 4, 2020 Notes: On Thursday, Human Rights Watch issued a statement calling on the U.S. to impose a moratorium on deportations during the COVID-19 pandemic, citing more than 1,406 immigration detainees testing positive for COVID-19 as of June 1st and outbreaks linked to individuals who had been deported from the U.S. Although ICE states that it is now testing migrants before deporting them to Guatemala, a Homeland Security official has acknowledged that migrants are unlikely to be tested unless required by the receiving country. Headline: Fear stops Rohingya getting tested as virus hits refugee camps Source: Reuters Date: June 5, 2020 Notes: Community leaders and aid workers are concerned that Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh are afraid to come forward to be tested for fear that they will be removed from their family and isolated. Officials state that only 339 COVID-19 tests have been conducted in the camps. Headline: ‘I lost my mind’: Ethiopian migrants forced home empty-handed by coronavirus Source: Thomson Reuters Foundation Date: June 4, 2020 Notes: The IOM has reported that more than 14,000 Ethiopians have returned to Ethiopia since the beginning of April. Migrants returning in the midst of the pandemic may feel “unsuccessful” or have had “unmet expectations,” and some groups have stepped in to provide additional psychosocial and vocational support.

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Headline: COVID-19 aid funding: The many pots and pitfalls Source: The New Humanitarian Date: June 3, 2020 Notes: This article provides guidance on some of the COVID-related funding available in the humanitarian sector, as well as some of the challenges in accounting for this funding. Headline: Is it finally time for the localization agenda to take off? Source: Devex Date: June 3, 2020 Notes: As some international organizations scale back operations in the context of COVID-19, it provides an opportunity to make good on the long-discussed localization agenda. However, true localization will require deliberate change, and some fear that decision-making has just been shifted to remote international offices. Headline: COVID-19 deaths in ICE detention demand medical action now Source: The Hill Date: June 4, 2020 Notes: In this opinion piece, physicians and students at Harvard Medical School call for immediate safety measures, mass testing, and prompt access to medical care for sick detainees in ICE detention. Citing the deaths two immigrants in ICE detention in May, including the death of Carlos Ernesto Escobar Mejia who experienced delayed access to care, the authors call for an immediate independent review to ensure facilities are providing prompt medical care and testing.

Compiled by Sarah Guyer

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Daily COVID-19 and Migration Digest Monday, June 8, 2020 Headline: Immigrants are Not to Blame for Global Epidemics: Insights from Past and Present Source: Open Democracy Date: June 8, 2020 Notes: This piece covers rhetoric used around immigration and epidemics, pointing instead to seasonal tourist travelers as active vectors for the current pandemic. Headline: The Middle East is Using the Coronavirus Pandemic as an Excuse to Expel South Asian Migrant Workers Source: The Independent Date: June 8, 2020 Notes: This article reports on Qatar’s use of COVID-19 to illegally expel 20 Nepali migrant workers after detaining hundreds of workers for several days under the guise of a testing regime. Headline: Aid Groups at Rohingya Refugee Camps Say COVID-19 Might Force Care Rationing Source: VOA Date: June 8, 2020 Notes: Humanitarian aid groups in Cox’s Bazar brace for a lack of equipment and personnel resulting in subsequent rationing of health care for the most severely ill patients. Headline: IOM Turkey Calls for Greater Assistance for Migrants and Refugees as COVID-19 Restrictions Ease Source: IOM Turkey Date: June 6, 2020 Notes: “IOM has monitored the situation of thousands of migrant families across ten provinces since the

onset of the pandemic. Field assessments reveal the disproportionate impacts of the COVID-19

pandemic on migrants in the health, socio-economic and protection spheres. The areas of greatest need

identified include cash support, psychosocial counseling, basic health and hygiene services and supplies,

and education support for children.”

Headline: Covid-19 Not An Excuse To Forsake Refugee Rights Source: Malay Mail Date: June 7, 2020 Notes: The Centre for Human Rights Research and Advocacy (Centhra) calls for human treatment of refugees and stateless persons in Malaysia, including equal provision of health care benefits to those who test positive for COVID-19. Headline: Malian Migrants Stranded by COVID-19 Border Closures Now Home Source: VOA Date: June 7, 2020 Notes: 179 Malian migrants stranded in Niger for three months due to COVID-19 related border closures are being repatriated. The IOM estimates around 30,000 migrants are stranded in West and Central Africa. Headline: Now They Speak, You Listen

Source: Bella Caledonia

Date: June 6, 2020

Notes: This piece discusses demands asylum seekers in Glasgow have put forward regarding treatment

by the Home Office and the private housing provider, MEARS. Asylum seekers were temporarily moved

to hotels around Glasgow and lost government monetary assistance, relying on mutual aid.

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Headline: Greece Restarts Suspended Asylum Procedure Source: Human Rights Watch Date: June 5, 2020 Notes: Greece’s month-long suspension of its asylum system is reopening after criticisms from HRW and other civil society groups to reverse its decision to suspend asylum.

Compiled by Rocio Rodriguez Casquete

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Daily COVID-19 and Migration Digest Tuesday, June 9, 2020 Headline: Why working together on global migration is vital to pandemic recovery Source: The New Humanitarian Date: June 9, 2020 Notes: In this opinion essay, Professor Ian Kysel argues that cooperation on migration is an essential component of the pandemic response. He writes, “It is not a question of whether we want to open our societies to migrants, but how we can ensure that our response to human mobility conforms to human rights principles when we do.” Kysel references the 14 Principles of Protection for Migrants, Refugees, and Other Displaced Persons, which he recently co-authored with a group of international legal experts to reaffirm the rights of migrants during the COVID-19 pandemic. Related material: 14 Principles of protection for migrants, refugees, and other displaced persons Headline: Malaysia detains 270 Rohingya refugees who had drifted at sea for weeks Source: BBC News Date: June 9, 2020 Notes: Nearly 270 Rohingya refugees who had been adrift at sea for nearly two months and refused disembarkation due to COVID lockdowns were intercepted and detained by the Malaysian coastguard on Monday. Authorities had originally intended to push the boat back into international waters, but instead intercepted the vessel when more than 50 Rohingya jumped into the sea as the coastguard approached. Authorities report that they have turned back 22 vessels this year. Headline: Coronavirus: Send migrants to native places in 15 days, drop cases against them, Supreme

Court tells Centre, states

Source: Deccan Herald

Date: June 9, 2020

Notes: On Monday, the Supreme Court of India directed the Centre and states to return migrant workers

to their homes within the next 15 days and encouraged states to develop a scheme to promote

employment near their homes. The Court has also requested that all cases against migrants for violating

lockdown orders be considered for withdrawal.

Headline: One returnee tests positive for COVID-19 in Maungdaw Source: Myanmar Times Date: June 8, 2020 Notes: The Myanmar Times reports from the Rakhine State Public Health Department that a “Rakhine Hindu” who “returned illegally” to Myanmar from Bangladesh tested positive for COVID-19 at a Transit Camp in Maungdaw township. The article later states that this individual is “the second Rakhine Muslim refugee” returning “illegally” from Bangladesh to test positive for COVID-19. Headline: Russia’s latest app will track migrant workers – but who’s next? Source: Open Democracy Date: June 9, 2020 Notes: Russian state media reported at the end of May that Russian authorities are considering requiring migrant workers to download a mobile app once COVID-19 movement restrictions are lifted. Reports state that the app may contain “biometric data, ‘health status,’ and information on their police record.” Headline: After covid: Resetting Europe-Africa relations for mutual benefit Source: European Council on Foreign Relations Date: June 8, 2020 Notes: The COVID-19 pandemic may usher in a new era of Europe-Africa relations, including on migration. The article reviews some of the European Council on Foreign Relations key considerations for the EU-AU summit scheduled for October.

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Headline: UN: Strengthen Humanitarian Aid for People with Disabilities Source: Human Rights Watch Date: June 9, 2020 Notes: Human Rights Watch urges attention to persons with disabilities at the high-level UN Economic and Social Council meeting scheduled to begin today. Pre-existing difficulty accessing humanitarian services experienced by people with disabilities has been exacerbated by the pandemic. Despite existing policy commitments, implementation has lagged. Headline: COVID-19 travel bans separate families even as lockdowns ease Source: Channel News Asia Date: June 9, 2020 Notes: Travel restrictions have had a profound impact on the separation of families, including for individuals trying to get home to see sick loved ones or to attend family funerals. The article tells the story of two families that have been impacted by travel restrictions. Headline: This global pandemic could transform humanitarianism forever. Here’s how. Source: The New Humanitarianism Date: June 8, 2020 Notes: The COVID-19 pandemic may fundamentally change the field of humanitarianism, although some transformations predicted early in the pandemic have proven overly optimistic. The author lists thirteen ways the COVID-19 pandemic may change humanitarianism.

Compiled by Sarah Guyer

Daily COVID-19 and Migration Digest Wednesday, June 10, 2020 Headline: Coronavirus: A window of opportunity for action on migration? Source: The New Humanitarian Date: June 10, 2020 Notes: Advocates reflect on policies and strategies that have been implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to migrants and refugees. Some say “the coronavirus pandemic might be creating an opening where the interests of public health, economic self-interest, and human rights overlap to pave the way for the adoption of evidence and rights-based policies that were previously off the table.“ Headline: White House prepares new immigration limits, using coronavirus as cover Source: CNN Date: June 9, 2020 Notes: The Trump administration’s closure of the US southern border, which occurred in April, is due to be revisited this weekend for possible extension or modification, and sources report that new restrictions on legal immigration are likely to be put in place. The administration cites the impact of COVID-19 and the economy as reasons behind stemming immigration, even as businesses and experts argue that immigrants are critical to economic recovery. Headline: Coronavirus – Africa: International Organization for Migration (IOM) Ethiopia assists hundreds of returning COVID-19 affected migrants Source: CNBC Africa Date: June 9, 2020 Notes: Thousands of irregular and undocumented migrants from Ethiopia in the Gulf have lost their livelihoods due to COVID-19 and the economic crisis. Many have begun to return home to Ethiopia, assisted by IOM and funneled into quarantine centers by the Ethiopian government. Headline: Community groups step in to provide immigrants COVID testing, relief Source: Cronkite News Date: June 9, 2020 Notes: In Arizona, community groups are organizing services to assist immigrants, especially those who are undocumented and not able to utilize government assistance, in the COVID-19 pandemic. These services include testing in health centers trusted by communities and financial assistance to families that are unable to access stimulus funds. Headline: Malaysia says it will ask Bangladesh to take back fleeing Rohingya, citing virus restrictions Source: New York Times Date: June 10, 2020 Notes: “The Malaysian government, citing fears over the spread of the coronavirus, has said it will ask Bangladesh to take back 269 Rohingya refugees who arrived by boat after months at sea. Malaysia has a history of turning back Rohingya refugee boats and can now cite the tightening of border controls over the virus as another reason to refuse them entry.” Headline: 'I Have the Skills, I Have the Training.' How Refugee Doctors Are Helping the U.S. Fight COVID-19 Even Without a Medical License Source: Time Date: June 9, 2020

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Notes: This article profiles several doctors who arrived in the US as refugees and documents their efforts to help during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite barriers which prevent many from practicing medicine in the US. Some are working in healthcare supporting positions, such as testing, tracing and interpretation, found through a new IRC portal, refugees.rescue.org, which allows refugees and immigrants with medical degrees from abroad to register their interest to work in the fight against COVID-19. Headline: In Libya, migrants abandoned by political humanitarian aid policies (French) Source: La Croix Date: June 6, 2020 Notes: Though the country has officially documented fewer than 200 cases of COVID-19, in Libya the pandemic is another factor that puts migrants in the country at risk of harm. Amid ongoing conflict, policies aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19 are also impeding access for humanitarian groups to provide supplies and assistance to migrants in detention and on the move in Libya. Headline: We Together: Street Art for Safe Migration and Solidarity during the COVID-19 Pandemic Source: IOM via ReliefWeb Date: June 9, 2020 Notes: New street art in Accra, labeled by its mayor as “a haven for migrants,” aims to spread messages about safe migration and solidarity amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Citing the probability that the pandemic will exacerbate existing migration patterns, IOM is stating the importance of making migration safer for those on the move.

Compiled by Christina Kay

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Daily COVID-19 and Migration Digest Friday, June 12, 2020 Headline: Trump Administration Moves to Solidify Restrictive Immigration Policies Source: New York Times Date: June 12, 2020 Notes: The Trump Administration announced proposed regulations that raise the standard of proof for asylum seekers. The proposed regulation, which will have a 30-day public comment period, builds on an April executive order temporarily suspending the issuance of green cards to many eligible groups. On Thursday night, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos issued an emergency rule prohibiting “colleges from granting virus relief funds to foreign and undocumented students.” Headline: Councils ask for UK to lift bars on emergency help for migrants

Source: Guardian

Date: June 11, 2020

Notes: Local authorities in the UK are calling on the government to suspend the “no recourse to public

funds” (“NRPF”) status that is attached to hundreds of thousands of visas in the UK. While these visas

allow individuals to work, it prevents them from accessing benefits if they become unemployed. The

NRPF status was introduced in 2012 along with other restrictive immigration measures.

Headline: As COVID-19 deaths rise in Cox’s Bazar, is increased testing enough? Source: Devex Date: June 10, 2020 Notes: Aid groups working in Cox’s Bazar are concerned about low testing capacity in the camps, given that only approximately 300 tests were administered as of last week. There is only one laboratory, with a testing capacity of 200 tests per day, that serves both host and refugee communities in Cox’s Bazar district. The second COVID-19 death was reported in the Cox’s Bazar camps on Tuesday. Headline: As COVID-19 worsens precarity for refugees, Turkey and the EU must work together Source: Brookings Date: June 11, 2020 Notes: In this blog by Brookings, the authors urge Turkey and the EU to revisit the 2016 migration deal sooner than the 2021 expiration and utilize the framework provided by the Global Compact on Refugees, which both Turkey and nearly all EU member states have signed. Given the COVID-19 pandemic, the vulnerability of Syrian refugees in Turkey have increased, making a new deal even more necessary. Headline: Migrant farmworkers, many coronavirus positive, move north from Florida to other states Source: Washington Post Date: June 11, 2020 Notes: Cramped living conditions and the slow roll out of testing has made farmworkers in Florida particularly vulnerable to COVID-19. Recent clusters of cases have been identified in agricultural communities, and advocates fear that cases will continue to spread as migrant workers obtain work further north during summer months. Headline: Singapore calls for ‘mindset’ change as migrant workers are rehoused Source: Thomas Reuters Foundation Date: June 10, 2020 Notes: Foreign workers account for more than 90% of Singapore’s COVID-19 cases. Singapore has committed to improving living conditions for workers in the short-term and has launched a social media campaign to promote greater tolerance as the government moves workers into residential neighborhoods. “’In land-scarce Singapore it is inevitable that some of the new dorm sites will be quite near residential areas, so all of us must do our part to reject the ‘not in my backyard’ mindset,’ said Lawrence Wong, co-head of the city’s coronavirus taskforce.”

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Headline: WHO says coronavirus outbreak in Africa ‘accelerating’ Source: Al Jazeera Date: June 12, 2020 Notes: Although the spread of COVID-19 on the continent has been more “muted” than originally predicted, partially due quick action by leaders to establish “point of entry” screen measures, the WHO warned yesterday that the pandemic in Africa was accelerating, with evidence of spread to rural areas. In just 18 days, cases doubled from 100,000 to 200,000. Headline: Opinion: COVID-19 – it’s time to take cash to the next level Source: Devex Date: June 11, 2020 Notes: In this opinion piece, Caroline Holt of IFRC argues that cash is “the most appropriate way to respond to the socioeconomic impact of COVID-19 around the world.” Holt writes that support is needed “quickly, safely, and reliably,” and cash provides a flexible option that can quickly address diverse needs. Additional Resources: Detained in Danger database, launched on June 11th by Human Rights First, tracks COVID-19 cases in U.S. ICE detention centers

Compiled by Sarah Guyer

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Daily COVID-19 and Migration Digest Monday, June 15, 2020 Headline: Asylum seekers risk their lives to help Canada fight covid-19. Trudeau could upgrade their status Source: Washington Post Date: June 12, 2020 Notes: Advocacy groups lobby Prime Minister Trudeau’s administration, demanding that the Canadian government regularize the legal status of thousands of migrant workers, whose health and livelihood are both at high risk due to COVID-19. Headline: Migrant crossings into Europe spiked in May: report Source: Duetsche Welle Date: June 14, 2020 Notes: “The number of migrants seeking to enter the EU tripled in May compared to the previous month. It's a sign traffic along Europe's migration routes is picking up again after a lull brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.” Headline: Making migrant workers pay for Covid-19 screening adds to their desperation Source: The Kathmandu Post Date: June 13, 2020 Notes: The Nepali government’s repatriation plan requires that all incoming individuals carry a certificate of a medical test proving that they have not contracted coronavirus. The plan does not mention who will be responsible for conducting the tests and who will be bearing the expenses of these tests. Headline: Florida Migrant Towns Become Coronavirus Hot Spots in US Source: NY Times Date: June 12, 2020 Notes: COVID-19 outbreaks in Florida are erupting in impoverished and immigrant communities in Florida, as residents battle the need to go back to work and while the state government lifts social distancing measures. Headline: Number of migrants blocked at the border continues to grow, heightening humanitarian concerns Source: ABC News Date: June 12, 2020 Notes: “Immigration officials are arresting and quickly removing a growing number of migrants at the southern border under a controversial public health directive which the Trump administration has linked to COVID-19.” Author Quinn Owen documents how this number has increased significantly in May. Headline: South Sudanese refugees make tippy taps to promote hygiene in DRC camps Source: UNHCR Date: June 10, 2020 Notes: “Since the first coronavirus case was confirmed in the DRC in March 2020, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has put measures in place to prevent the virus from spreading among refugees, the internally displaced and their host communities.” UNHCR has trained South Sudanese refugees on how to make their own tippy taps, using recycled materials. Headline: For Migrants in Russia, Virus Means No Money to Live and No Way to Leave Source: NY Times Date: June 15, 2020 Notes: “While Russia has been battered by the virus, with the third most cases in the world after the United States and Brazil, the crisis has hit migrant workers especially hard, as they were the first to lose their jobs and often the last to receive medical help.”

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Compiled by Sabeen Rokerya

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Daily COVID-19 and Migration Digest Tuesday, June 16, 2020 Headline: Covid-19 in the World's Largest Refugee Camp: Dr. Sanjay Gupta's coronavirus podcast for June 15 Source: CNN Date: June 15, 2020 Notes: “CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta turns to Bex Wright, who covers the Rohingya refugee crisis for CNN, and David Miliband, the CEO of the International Rescue Committee, to talk about how we can never be free of a global pandemic unless everywhere in the world is safe.” Headline: Serving refugees and displaced people in the COVID-19 pandemic Source: Oxfam Date: June 15, 2020 Notes: In 2019, Oxfam built a water treatment plant that handles sewage from 150,000 refugees living near Cox’s Bazar. During the pandemic, Oxfam distributed soap and shared information about COVID-19. Shortly thereafter, Cyclone Amphan struck the area near Cox’s Bazar, and Oxfam has been delivering post-disaster assistance to 173,000 refugees in the area. Headline: Caritas in Greece protects the rights of migrants and refugees facing COVID-19 Source: Caritas via ReliefWeb Date: June 16, 2020 Notes: Christy Tanstioti, Communications Officer with Caritas Greece, writes of the commitment of Caritas Hellas to support refugees in the refugee crisis in the Aegean islands, and urges Greek authorities and the international community to “protect the fundamental rights of refugees and migrants, such as the right to healthcare, education and protection.” Headline: Traffickers want payments for Rohingya stranded at sea for months Source: Al Jazeera Date: June 16, 2020 Notes: While several hundred Rohingya, have been stranded for months after countries sealed their borders to block the spread of the coronavirus, people traffickers holding hundreds of Rohingya refugees at sea are demanding payments from their families to release them from boats off the shores of Southeast Asia. Headline: Meet the refugee health care heroes fighting the coronavirus Source: International Rescue Committee Date: June 14, 2020 Notes: IRC highlights the work and lives of Dr. Edna Patricia Gomez, Anxhela, Doha Ibrahim Ammouri, Torbertha Torbor, and Shadi Mohammedali, who are refugees, as well as health care workers, front line practitioners, and essential workers. Headline: Without safe migration, economic recovery will be limited Source: Al Jazeera Date: June 14, 2020 Notes: In this opinion piece, author Antonio Vitorino explores the health concerns that have driven restrictions in global movement, and why reopening borders in a “smart and safe way” is the only way to sustainable recovery, with trade and mobility. Headline: From HIV to COVID-19, Ganjam’s migrant workers remain undocumented Source: The Hindu Date: June 14, 2020 Notes: “Two decades ago, the HIV virus impacted issues related to the lives and livelihoods of lakhs of workers who migrated to Surat in Gujarat from Odisha’s Ganjam district in search of work. Their return

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after the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions were lifted reveals that nothing much has been done for their registration and documentation till date.”

Compiled by Sabeen Rokerya

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Daily COVID-19 and Migration Digest Wednesday, June 17, 2020 Headline: The Potential Impact of COVID-19 in Refugee Camps in Bangladesh and Beyond: A Modeling Study Source: Plos Medicine Date: June 16, 2020 Notes: A new study simulates how a COVID-19 outbreak might spread in the Kutupalong-Balukhali Expansion site in Cox’s Bazar, modeled off SARS. The model predicts the number of people infected in the first year will reach between 421,500 to 589,800 people. Headline: Syrian Refugees Profoundly hit by COVID-19 Economic Downturn

Source: UNHCR

Date: June 16, 2020

Notes: The UNHCR has reported that the economic fallout from COVID-19 is having further impact on

Syrian refugees in host countries, increasing humanitarian needs for food, safe housing, and social

protection.

Headline: Guidance On Infection Prevention and Control Of COVID-19 in Migrant and Refugee Reception And Detention Centres In The EU/EEA And The UK Source: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control Date: June 15, 2020 Notes: “The main objective of this guidance is to provide scientific advice on public health principles and considerations for infection and prevention control of COVID-19 in migrant and refugee reception and detention centres in the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA) and the United Kingdom (UK). The target audience… includes national, regional and international policymakers, public health and healthcare planners, staff working in migrant/refugee reception and detention centres, health researchers, health professionals, and civil society organisations working with migrant populations.” Headline: Migration and COVID-19: Venezuelan Children Between a Rock and a Hard Place Source: World Vision Date: June 16, 2020 Notes: World Vision reports on research into the “emotional state and material conditions of children” in Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela during COVID-19. Headline: Thailand’s Migrant Workers Struggle to Qualify for Aid During Pandemic Source: VOA Date: June 17, 2020 Notes: Migrant workers in Thailand are unable to receive social security aid because of restrictive requirements including possession of a Thai bank account and at least six months of contributing to the government fund. Headline: These Refugee Doctors Couldn't Join Australia's Coronavirus Frontline Because They're From Overseas Source: SBS News Date: June 16, 2020 Notes: This piece highlights the challenges refugee doctors experience with acquiring the necessary licensing and employment to work in Australia. Headline: COVID-19 Impact: 1.2 Million Foreigner Workers to Leave Saudi Arabia in 2020 Source: Gulf News Date: June 17, 2020 Notes: An estimated 1.2 million foreign workers will leave Saudi Arabia affecting the hospitality, restaurant, and administrative/support sectors.

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Upcoming Event: MSF/Doctors Without Borders Webinar – “Migration in the Shadow of a Pandemic,” June 18, 1:00pm EDT

Compiled by Rocio Rodriguez Casquete

Daily COVID-19 and Migration Digest Thursday, June 18, 2020 Headline: Five ways to protect people on the move during a pandemic Source: MSF via ReliefWeb Date: June 16, 2020 Notes: This press release from Médecins Sans Frontières highlights the fact that refugees and migrants are among those most threatened by COVID-19. It outlines five actions that can help protect people on the move, including by ensuring that COVID-19 is not used as an excuse to enforce deadly migration control policies. Headline: Whose travel is ‘essential’ during coronavirus: Hockey players or asylum-seekers? Source: The Conversation Date: June 17, 2020 Notes: In this opinion piece, author Sean Rehaag examines Canada’s consideration of opening its borders for professional sports travel while keeping them closed for asylum seekers. Rehaag argues that “essential” travel should include that of people seeking asylum. Headline: In Yemen, families suffer as COVID-19 dries up money from abroad Source: The New Humanitarian Date: June 16, 2020 Notes: This article examines the impact of COVID-19 on the humanitarian situation in Yemen, including the issue of remittances from abroad dwindling. An estimated 1.6 million Yemenis are working in Saudi Arabia alone, and many have been unable to send money home to Yemen since the onset of the pandemic. Headline: More coronavirus outbreaks reported at Mexican migrant shelters on the border Source: Border Report Date: June 17, 2020 Notes: “COVID-19 outbreaks are being reported at two additional migrant shelters on the Mexican border, after an initial outbreak was reported last month at the Leona Vicario federal facility in Juarez. Chihuahua state authorities on Wednesday said a total of 23 migrants are ill or recuperating in Juarez and in Ojinaga, which borders Presidio, Texas.” Headline: COVID-19 exposes migration reporting shortfalls in Tunisia Source: International Journalists Network Date: June 17, 2020 Notes: This piece notes that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought the issues facing asylum seekers and migrants in Tunisia to the attention of the public in a way that was lacking prior to the pandemic. The author examines trends in the Tunisian media reporting of these issues and proposes a way forward. Headline: Governments must not turn their back on the Sahel, Oxfam and others warn Source: ReliefWeb Date: June 15, 2020 Notes: In the Sahel, COVID-19 has increased the vulnerability of populations being displaced by armed conflict and climate change. Humanitarian agencies warn of a “hunger pandemic” approaching the region as measures put in place to contain COVID-19 compound the difficulties of the annual “lean season.” Headline: Sri Lankan Navy on high alert to thwart asylum seekers from COVID-19 hit countries Source: WIO News

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Date: June 17, 2020 Notes: Sri Lankan officials are using public health concerns surrounding COVID-19 to justify increased military operations to block asylum seekers from entering the country.

Compiled by Christina Kay

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Daily COVID-19 and Migration Digest Friday, June 19, 2020 We would like to acknowledge today’s Juneteenth commemorations in the U.S., and World Refugee Day tomorrow, June 20th. The Program on Forced Migration and Health stands in solidarity with all those struggling for racial justice, migrant rights and human rights around the world. Headline: Joint Statement: UN refugee chief Grandi and IOM’s Vitorino announce resumption of resettlement travel for refugees Source: UNHCR Date: June 18, 2020 Notes: On Thursday, UNHCR and IOM announced that resettlement departures would resume. The hold on resettlement travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic had delayed the departure of approximately 10,000 refugees. Although many restrictions on travel remain, UNHCR expects to see an increase in resettlement travel. Headline: UN Security Council Should Reauthorize Cross-Border Aid to Syria

Source: Human Rights Watch

Date: June 18, 2020

Notes: Human Rights Watch urges the UN Security Council to reauthorize humanitarian aid deliveries

from Iraq to northeast Syria. Previous work published by Human Rights Watch has shown that restrictions

on aid was preventing medical supplies from reaching two million people in northeast Syria. While Syria

has only reported 177 cases of COVID-19, limited testing means that the number of cases is likely much

higher.

Headline: World Refugee Day: New research demonstrates dramatic impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable refugees Source: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Date: June 19, 2020 Notes: IFRC research published this week, in advance of World Refugee Day, shows the significant socioeconomic impact that COVID-19 has had on refugees in Turkey. IFRC reports, “Approximately 70 per cent of refugees surveyed reported having lost their jobs since the start of the pandemic. In addition, nearly 80 per cent reported significant increases in their daily expenses.” Headline: Without face-to-face meetings, what does peace building look like during COVID-19? Source: Devex Date: June 17, 2020 Notes: Civil society organizations working on peace building have sought alternatives to in-person meetings, although some express concerns whether digital exercises can meaningfully address the drivers of conflict. With acceptance and implementation of cease-fire deals limited, peace building is more important than ever. Bridget Moix, U.S. executive director of Peace Director, is quoted in the article: “‘COVID is just something else that is layered on top of a conflict-affected and fragile state. We have to remember not to put everything else on hold.’” Headline: 2020 World Refugee Day Statement by UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi Source: UNHCR Date: June 19, 2020 Notes: To commemorate 2020 World Refugee Day, UN High Commission for Refugees Filippo Grandi writes: “As we battle COVID-19, I draw inspiration from the resilience refugees have shown in overcoming their own crisis of displacement and dispossession; their separation from home and family; and their determination to improve their own and others’ lives, despite these and other hardships. On World Refugee Day, I salute and celebrate the fortitude of refugees and displaced people around the world. I also pay tribute to the communities that shelter them and that have demonstrated the universally shared values and principles of compassion and humanity.” Related Material: UNHCR’s 2019 Global Trends report was released on June 18, 2020; see press release here and report here

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Headline: Feds explore whether Latino immigrants to blame for coronavirus flare-ups Source: USA Today Date: June 18, 2020 Notes: Internal communications between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Homeland Security obtained by USA Today demonstrate the efforts by US officials to shift blame for poor pandemic control to migrants. “‘Are there any immigration patterns DHS is seeing that support the thesis that seeding could be coming from Mexicans over the border?’ Azar asked, according to emails summarizing one of the meetings. ‘Could we be seeing the after effects of cinco de mayo (sic)?’ he asked, according to the summary.” Headline: Businesses urged to give refugees more jobs in the COVID-19 era Source: Thomson Reuters Foundation Date: June 18, 2020 Notes: Panelists on an online forum hosted by Thomson Reuters Foundation reported, “Half of refugees in Lebanon and Colombia have lost their income source, and almost two thirds of recently settled refugees in the United States may have lost their jobs.” Some groups, including the Tent Partnership for Refugees, report that businesses are already taking steps to employ more refugees. Headline: Refugees detained in Brisbane deny claims activists have endangered their safety Source: The Guardian Date: June 19, 2020 Notes: After the Australian acting immigration Minister, Alan Tudge, told reporters earlier this week that protesters’ presence outside a hotel holding refugees forced the government to remove health professionals from the hotel, refugees being detained denied these claims. Instead, refugees detained at the Kangaroo Point Central hotel – an alternative place of detention – said that protests had improved morale and that medical services did not appear to be disrupted. Headline: COVID-19 policies not backed by data do more harm than good Source: The New Humanitarian Date: June 18, 2020 Notes: In this opinion piece, the authors argue that many countries re-opening are doing so with inaccurate or no data to inform policies. The authors put forward four suggestions to form evidence-based metrics to guide processes of re-opening. Among these, the authors say we must “collect data on all high-risk and vulnerable populations,” and that uninformed policies can threaten trust and wellbeing.

Compiled by Sarah Guyer

 

Daily COVID-19 and Migration Digest  Monday, June 22, 2020   Headline: On World Refugee Day, a look at how COVID-19 is affecting refugees and asylum seekers Source: World Economic Forum Date: June 20, 2020 Notes: This article highlights some of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on refugees and asylum seekers, including lack of access to necessary healthcare, the spread of misinformation in refugee camps, and increasingly harsh migration policies and border closures that hamper asylum seekers’ ability to flee unsafe situations.   Headline: Greece Extends Lockdown on More than 120,000 Migrants, Refugees Source: Voice of America Date: June 21, 2020 Notes: Greece has announced the extension of COVID-19 related lockdown measures for asylum seekers and migrants in holding centers throughout the country, even as the government lifts measures for the rest of the country. Advocates continue to voice concern that containment measures related to COVID-19 are eroding the human rights of those residing in the camps.  Headline: Businesses Brace for Possible Limits on Foreign Worker Visas Source: New York Times Date: June 21, 2020 Notes: Citing the economic slump, the President Trump is expected to issue an executive order on Monday that would limit on H-1B, L-1 and other visas as well as a program allowing foreign students to work in the United States after they graduate.  Headline: Mexico to halt sending migrant farmworkers to Canada due to coronavirus Source: Axios Date: June 20, 2020 Notes: Mexican officials announced they will suspend plans to send as many as 5,000 migrant farmworkers to Canada after two Mexicans died from the coronavirus. Canada's farming sector relies on 60,000 temporary foreign workers annually, almost half of whom come from Mexico.   Headline: Arabic press review: Coronavirus adds to the woes of Jordan's refugees Source: Middle East Eye Date: June 19, 2020 Notes: The United Nations has warned that refugees living in Jordan are suffering from extreme poverty, particularly as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, 79% of refugees living in Jordan were already living below the poverty line, and this number has increased in recent months due to job loss, with many refugees living in Jordan unsure whether they will be able to return to work once COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.    Headline: Malaysia’s Coronavirus Scapegoats Source: Foreign Policy Date: June 19, 2020 Notes: “Undocumented migrants and refugees are caught in the crossfire of Malaysia’s coronavirus response and a xenophobic backlash.” This article highlights the Malaysian government’s first promise to test anyone with symptoms of COVID-19, regardless of immigration status, and then subsequent mass arrests of thousands of undocumented migrants amid a xenophobic public backlacsh.   

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Headline: Coronavirus – Somalia: On World Refugee Day, UN calls for continued efforts to help refugees and displaced people in Somalia Source: CNBC Africa Date: June 20, 2020 Notes: Marking World Refugee Day, the United Nations in Somalia called for continued efforts to support at least 2.6 million Somalis who are internally displaced, and more than 30,000 refugees and asylum-seekers hosted by Somalia. The UN points to a “triple threat” for displaced persons in Somalia right now: the COVID-19 pandemic, a locust infestation, and flooding.    Headline: An open letter to the coronavirus from a refugee who has already seen too much suffering  Source: Upworthy Date: June 21, 2020 Notes: This letter, authored by Habibeh Amini, a refugee in Indonesia, directed at the COVID-19 virus, discusses some of the ways in which the pandemic has shown the rest of the world the conditions in which refugees and asylum seekers live every day. Some of the aspects discussed include the inability to see loved ones, having little control over outside events, and long periods of waiting.    

Compiled by Christina Kay 

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 Daily COVID-19 and Migration Digest  Tuesday, June 23, 2020   Headline: Trump, citing pandemic, orders limits on foreign workers, extends immigration restrictions through December Source: Washington Post Date: June 22, 2020 Notes: “President Trump issued a proclamation Monday barring many categories of foreign workers and curbing immigration visas through the end of the year, moves the White House said will protect U.S. workers reeling from job losses amid the coronavirus pandemic.” This expands earlier restrictions and will prevent foreign workers from filling 525,000 jobs, according to the administration.   Headline: East Africa: People seeking safety are trapped at borders due to COVID-19 measures  Source: Amnesty International Date: June 22. 2020 Notes: “A coalition of international, national, and refugee-led organizations in the Horn, East and Central Africa (HECA) have today called on governments in the region to reopen borders for asylum seekers. The organizations are calling on governments to put in place measures that manage the current health emergency while ensuring asylum seekers can seek protection.”   Headline: COVID-19’s double dangers for Venezuelan women in Colombia Source: The New Humanitarian Date: June 19, 2020 Notes: This article highlights the increased level of sexual- and gender-based violence that Venezuelan women in Colombia are facing, alongside the difficulties of meeting daily needs amid the COVID-19 pandemic which has closed off opportunities for income generation and also paused the operations of many agencies providing assistance.   Headline: COVID Crisis in India: Migrant Workers Exposed to Further Exploitation Source: New Security Beat Date: June 22, 2020 Notes: “In India, COVID-19 has put the spotlight on migrant workers’ precarious working conditions. First, the sweeping lockdown left many workers jobless, forcing them to walk hundreds of kilometers to their native villages. Now, in a reaction to the coronavirus, states are loosening labor laws in a bid to get their economies up and running. As a consequence, migrant laborers have to work even more hours.”  Headline: Internet blackout in Myanmar's Rakhine enters second year Source: Wio News Date: June 22, 2020 Notes: This article explores the particular danger for residents of Rakhine state of facing the COVID-19 pandemic while experiencing a blockage of internet access. Human rights actors have condemned the government of Myanmar for blocking the residents’ freedom of access to information that could help them avoid the virus.   Headline: At the US-Mexico border, asylum chaos and coronavirus fear Source: The New Humanitarian Date: June 22, 2020 Notes: “Asylum seekers at the US-Mexico border are caught in limbo, suffering from turmoil caused by the US government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic and now a spiraling outbreak in Mexico, with those staying in overcrowded shelters and makeshift camps particularly vulnerable.” 

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 Headline: Rohingya children face even higher levels of violence and safety risks as COVID-19 crisis deepens Source: ReliefWeb Date: June 22, 2020 Notes: “Child rights organization Educo says children living in the world’s largest refugee camp now face heightened risk of various forms of violence including child trafficking, child labour and child marriage amid worsening socioeconomic conditions brought about by the pandemic.”  Headline: Eight hundred thousand masks to help protect migrant workers from COVID-19 Source: ReliefWeb via IFRC Date: June 23, 2020 Notes: A new initiative by IFRC and the Thai Red Crescent Society aims to assist migrant workers in Thailand through the provision of masks, hand sanitizer, and information about COVID-19, as well as relief kits for quarantined migrant workers. Many migrant workers in Thailand are undocumented and thus missing assistance provided by the Thai government and others.     

Compiled by Christina Kay 

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Daily COVID-19 and Migration Digest Wednesday, June 24, 2020 Headline: Uganda Reopens Border to Thousands of People Fleeing Violence in DRC Source: The Guardian Date: June 24, 2020 Notes: Last week, the Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni, is opening the border for the estimated 10,000 men, women, and children who fled violence in eastern DRC and have been waiting for asylum in no-man’s land since late May. Headline: Press Release: COVID-19 Testing and Cases Among Women in Conflict Settings May Be

Underreported, New IRC Analysis Finds

Source: IRC

Date: June 24, 2020

Notes: “Data collected by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) shows a much higher discrepancy

between male and female confirmed COVID-19 cases, compared to the global average, in many

countries where the IRC works. The global average denotes that 51% of cases are male. Yet, in places

like Somalia, Pakistan and Yemen, cases are more than 70% male”

Headline: How Refugees With Chronic Conditions Are Affected Most By COVID-19 Pandemic Source: Forbes Date: June 24, 2020 Notes: This article discusses the obstacles refugees find during migration and while residing in the host country, from acute infections or injuries, to chronic medical conditions and mental illness. They refer to a recently released research paper by McNatt et al. of a qualitative study on the Syrian refugee experience while accessing noncommunicable disease services in Jordan. Headline: COVID-19: Rights Groups Call For African Borders to Reopen to Asylum Seekers Source: InfoMigrants Date: June 24, 2020 Notes: “A coalition of international, national and refugee-led organizations is calling on countries in the

Horn East and Central Africa to reopen borders to admit those seeking protection. African states began

closing their borders in March to try to contain the spread of COVID-19.”

Headline: Global Migrantphobia and Coronavirus Source: Valdai Date: June 24, 2020 Notes: “The pandemic has shown that, despite all the measures taken, migrantophobia, both in those countries that are taking steps to eliminate it, and in those countries where a solution to this problem is not a priority, can quickly grow and become a reliable weapon in the arsenal of populist politicians seeking to gain popularity, writes Dmitry Poletaev, Leading researcher at the Institute of Economic Forecasting of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Director of Migration Research Centre” Headline: Migrant Workers are Bearing the Brunt of New Zealand’s Hardline Coronavirus Approach Source: Vice Date: June 23, 2020 Notes: Australia’s successful containment of COVID-19 affects migrant workers with temporary migrant visas, who were denied entry during Australia’s lock down. They also face insecurity as visas expire and are at risk as nationals seek new employment.

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Headline: Harmful Returns: The Compounded Vulnerabilities of Returned Guatemalans in the Time of COVID-19 Source: Refugees International Date: June 23, 2020 Notes: Guatemalans seeking asylum in the U.S are being sent back to Guatemala, where they face legitimate fears of security and safety. There are basic and limited services for reintegration, with challenges in livelihood, access to public services, and healthcare, especially for those who test positive for COVID-19 upon returning. Headline: COVID-19: Link Between Migrants, Development Goals Becomes More Clear Source: Down to Earth Date: June 23, 2020 Notes: This piece looks at how a reverse migration crisis has taken place during COVID-19 with families leaving urban areas for their home towns and villages, affecting the livelihoods of daily wage and constructions workers in both urban and rural areas.

Compiled by Rocio Rodriguez Casquete

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Daily COVID-19 and Migration Digest Thursday, June 25, 2020 Headline: U.S. Fails to Prevent Deportation of Migrants Infected With Covid-19, Guatemalan Officials Say Source: Wall Street Journal Date: June 24, 2020 Notes: According to a Guatemalan official, the US has deported more than 24 migrants who tested positive for COVID-19, after the US agreed to establish protocols to prevent the deportation of infected migrants. Headline: Coronavirus lockdowns are fueling xenophobia all over the world – with even more dangerous consequences Source: The Independent Date: June 24, 2020 Notes: “Once we are able to put faces to names, friendships to ideas and beliefs, these fears dissolve. In spite of Covid-19, regardless of Brexit, every nation operates at its best when it fights for diversity and rejects xenophobia. Coronavirus should not be blinding us to that,” writes author Lauren Crosby Medlicott. Headline: Coronavirus: 28 migrants quarantined off Sicily test positive Source: Info Migrants Date: June 24, 2020 Notes: “A total of 28 rescued migrants have tested positive for the coronavirus on the Moby Zazà quarantine ship, which is off the Sicilian port of Porto Empedocle. They are among a group of 211 migrants who were rescued by the German charity Sea-Watch last week.” They were among people rescued by the NGO Sea-Watch. Headline: UN Agency Foresees Possible 'Crisis Within Crisis' as Migrant Workers Head Home Source: Voice of America News Date: June 24, 2020 Notes: As lockdowns lift, migrant workers are either repatriated to fragile economies or left stranded in host nations with limited means, while their families suffer financially owing to the loss of remittances. UN Agency ILO urges for “rights-based and orderly return and reintegration systems, access to social protection, and proper skills recognition’ to protect these workers. Headline: COVID-19 Compounds Families’ Painful Search for Missing and Disappeared Migrants Source: IOM via ReliefWeb Date: June 24, 2020 Notes: The restrictions imposed in many countries and the focus on the COVID-19 response have limited the ability to collect and report information on migrant deaths and disappearances. The number of reported deaths on migration journeys since March is a minimum estimate, and deaths and disappearances continue in remote and dangerous areas. Headline: How Refugees With Chronic Conditions Are Affected Most By Covid-19 Pandemic Source: Forbes Date: June 23, 2020 Notes: “The majority of refugees across the globe live outside of refugee camps and have been in exile for extended periods… they interact with national health systems that are often too expensive or otherwise inaccessible to them. They will develop NCDs during these long periods of exile and will require high-quality, accessible, affordable, well-coordinated care for both COVID-19-related illnesses and their pre-existing health concerns.” Headline: When Home Is Not an Option: African Refugees in Yemen  Source: Voice of America News

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Date: June 24, 2020 Notes: Somali refugees reflect on having to choose between hunger and exposure to COVID-19, as they reside in Yemen. These refugees, while increasingly challenged in Yemen, feel that Yemen is still better than their situations at home. Headline: Germany disburses EUR 20 Million to Support UNRWA COVID-19 Flash Appeal Source: UNRWA Date: June 24, 2020 Notes: On June 19th, the Government of Germany disbursed a contribution of EUR 20 million to the updated COVID-19 Flash Appeal released by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), to help ensure that Palestine refugees are able to meet their basic needs.

Compiled by Sabeen Rokerya

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Daily COVID-19 and Migration Digest Friday, June 26, 2020 Headline: Supreme Court Says Rejected Asylum Seekers Have No Right to Object in Court Source: The New York Times Date: June 25, 2020 Notes: On Thursday, the US Supreme Court announced its decision that a law limiting the role of federal courts to review asylum claims was constitutional. The decision bars asylum seekers from filing petitions for habeas corpus. In the majority opinion, Justice Samuel Alito wrote that Congress could enact a law to limit the role that federal courts may play in reviewing asylum claims. Advocates say that judicial review is more important now than ever due to the Trump Administration’s systematic removal of asylum protections. Headline: Home Office contractor admits putting vulnerable asylum seekers at risk – then backtracks hours later Source: Independent Date: June 26, 2020 Notes: Mears, a private company contracted by the UK Home Office to managed asylum housing, admitted this week that it failed to conduct vulnerability assessments prior to moving asylum seekers from smaller accommodations to hotels at the end of March due to the lockdown. Advocates say that moving asylum seekers without formally assessing their individual needs and vulnerability was potentially unlawful. Headline: Yemen: millions of children facing deadly hunger, amidst aid shortages and COVID-19 Source: UN News Date: June 25, 2020 Notes: UNICEF’s report released this week, Yemen five years on: Children, conflict, and COVID-19, highlights the indirect impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on children in Yemen, reporting that an additional 6,000 children under five could die from preventable causes by the end of the year. The report warns that, unless massive funding shortages are resolved, over 20,000 children with severe acute malnutrition will be at increased risk of death, there will be shortages on immunizations, and people will lose access to healthcare. Headline: LGBTQ+ people left out by exclusionary COVID-19 aid practices Source: The New Humanitarian Date: June 24, 2020 Notes: In settings across the globe, people have been excluded from the COVID-19 response due to their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. Responses that fail to account for anti-LGBTQ+ biases mean that people are too often unable to access aid. Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing barriers to healthcare for many: “On normal days, trans people can’t access proper healthcare [….] During the pandemic it’s even worse, I don’t know what I would do if I got infected with COVID-19. I’m scared.” Headline: ICE reports first coronavirus cases among detained migrant families with children

Source: CBS News

Date: June 25, 2020

Notes: On Thursday, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement reported the first case of COVID-19 in

family detention in the US. These first eleven cases are among individuals detained at the Karnes County

Residential Center in south Texas. ICE also reported four cases of COVID-19 among employees at the

family detention center in Dilley, Texas.

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Headline: Asylum seekers in Jana face battle for survival in time of coronavirus Source: Kyodo News Date: June 26, 2020 Notes: Organizations such as the Japan Association for Refugees have continued providing services to their refugee clients through calls and emails, although this work has been made difficult by stay-at-home requests that have limited clients ability to use public WiFi. Asylum seekers who have been provisionally released from detention as they await their case do not have residency, work permits, or national health insurance. Headline: Malaysia can’t take any more Rohingya refugees, PM says Source: Reuters Date: June 26, 2020 Notes: Citing a struggling economy due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Malaysia’s Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said today that the country was no longer willing to accept Rohingya refugees. For months, the country has turned away boats of Rohingya refugees. The Prime Minister called on ASEAN countries to do more to help Myanmar and on UNHCR to accelerate resettlement. Headline: Who hasn’t heard of COVID-19 by now? The answer may surprise you Source: Los Angeles Times Date: June 25, 2020 Notes: IOM monitors reported that 51% of migrants they interviewed at the border in Somalia last week reported that they had never heard of the coronavirus, potentially due, in part, to limited internet access. The IOM Somalia office told the Associated Press that these numbers are a decrease from 88% a few months ago. The increased awareness is likely due to radio broadcasts, word of mouth, and mass alerts sent to mobile phones. Headline: How do you translate a pandemic? Source: The New Humanitarian Date: June 23, 2020 Notes: Clear and accurate communication is essential to convey public health messages and combat rumors and misinformation. In countries such as India, which has 22 official languages and 19,500 languages or dialects, translating public health information is a formidable but important task. Even during translation, questions arise as to which phrases should be translated: “‘A word like quarantine is so much in the media that people would understand that more easily than any technical Hindi word,’ said [Divya] Oberoi [of the Indian Scientists’ Response to COVID-19 (ISRC)]”.

Compiled by Sarah Guyer

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Daily COVID-19 and Migration Digest Monday, June 29, 2020 Headline: US must release children from detention centers due to Covid-19, judge rules Source: Vox Date: June 27, 2020 Notes: On Friday, US federal Judge Dolly Gee ruled that the federal government must release children held for more than twenty days in family detention centers by July 17 due to concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic. The ruling came shortly after the federal government announced the first cases among detainees and staff members at two family detention centers in Texas. In her decision, Gee wrote, “The [family residential centers] are ‘on fire’ and there is no more time for half measures.” Gee had previously ordered ICE to conduct individualized release assessments for children in March and April. Headline: African Migrants in Yemen Scapegoated for Coronavirus Outbreak

Source: The New York Times

Date: June 28, 2020

Notes: Blaming migrants for the spread of coronavirus, Houthis have forced thousands of migrants out of

their territory in northern Yemen into the desert in the last three months. The Times reports: “Others were

forced to the border with Saudi Arabia, the Houthis’ primary foe, only to be shot at by Saudi border guards

and detained in prisons where they were beaten, given little food and forced to sleep on the same floor

that they use as a toilet, migrants said in interviews from prison. Some have returned to abusive

smugglers, determined to cross the border to find jobs in oil-rich Saudi Arabia.” More than 100,000

Ethiopians, Somalis, and other East Africans attempt to cross through Yemen each year.

Headline: Ukraine: Trapped in a War Zone for Lacking a Smartphone Source: Human Rights Watch Date: June 26, 2020 Notes: Earlier in June, Ukraine reopened a series of checkpoints in eastern Ukraine that separate government areas from those areas controlled by Russia-backed armed groups. Under the COVID-19 restrictions, the Ukrainian government requires those crossing the checkpoints to download an app to monitor compliance with self-isolation orders. Those without a smart phone are denied entry, trapping dozens of people in-between these parties. Laura Mills, Europe and Central Asia researcher, explains, “Dozens of people have had to camp out, in some cases overnight, in the middle of an active military conflict, just because they didn’t have a smartphone to download an app.” Headline: DR Congo: COVID-19 slows pace of reform, exacerbates fragile security situation Source: UN News Date: June 25, 2020 Notes: While the government of President Félix Tshisekedi is focused on the immediate response to COVID-19, many parts of eastern DRC are still experiencing significant violence due to armed groups. In North Kivu, the Allied Democratic Forces are presumed to have carried out the June 22 attack on a MONUSCO convoy. The UN Security Council continues to debate the future of the MONUSCO mission. Headline: Glasgow stabbings: Concerns over asylum hotel plan ahead of incident Source: BBC News Date: June 27, 2020 Notes: On Friday, six people including three asylum seekers were injured in a mass stabbing in a Glasgow hotel. Advocates have raised concerns in recent months as asylum seekers were moved from flats to hotels due to the COVID-19 lockdown. In the aftermath of the stabbing, many asylum seekers were moved from the hotel to alternative accommodations, but asked to sign leases without interpreters present.

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Headline: Indonesian villagers defy Covid-19 warnings to rescue Rohingya refugees Source: The Guardian Date: June 26, 2020 Notes: Last week, residents of Aceh, Indonesia asked authorities to act after spotting a rickety boat with Rohingya refugees stranded at sea. After authorities said they could not bring the refugees ashore due to concerns about coronavirus, local residents sailed out and brought the boats to shore. “‘We didn’t worry about getting into problems [with the authorities] because we believe that what we did was the right thing,’ said Nasruddin Guechik, who is head of the nearby village of Kampung. When people had seen the refugees, it had been impossible not to act, he said. ‘Just looking at the refugees, we were crying.’” Headline: The Danger of America’s Coronavirus Immigration Bans Source: The Atlantic Date: June 28, 2020 Notes: In this piece, Professor Ilya Somin situates the Trump Administration’s immigration orders since the beginning of the pandemic in the larger political context. Somin writes: “Combatting the coronavirus pandemic does not require a sweeping ban on immigration. Travel restrictions have done little to stop the spread of COVID-19, and the United States already has extensive domestic “community spread.” Many potential immigrants would be coming from nations where the disease is actually less widespread than it currently is in the U.S.” Instead, “the order is a large-scale executive-branch power grab that sets a dangerous precedent.” Headline: Schools Provide Stability for Refugees. COVID-19 Upended That. Source: Huffington Post Date: June 27, 2020 Notes: Schools often provide stability, as well as other supports, to refugee and displaced children. Language programs and other key support services are often lost as schools shift to online instruction, potentially further disadvantaging refugee students. Likewise, parents engaging in adult education may now have to focus on supervising the online education of their children. Headline: Opinion: Technology is an enabler, not a panacea. Here’s how we should use it. Source: Devex Date: June 26, 2020 Notes: While the increasing reliance on technology during the pandemic can “accelerate some welcome trends in the sector – the increasing use of streamlined interventions such as cash transfers and the localization of delivery staff, for example,” this opinion piece argues that we cannot become so reliant on technology that we forgot components critical to success, such as trust and relationships. The piece lays out important lessons that NGOs should apply when using technology in their programming.

Compiled by Sarah Guyer

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Daily COVID-19 and Migration Digest Tuesday, June 29, 2020 Headline: Coronavirus: Migrant workers stuck in pandemic-hit Iraq with no wages or way home Source: Middle East Eye Date: June 28, 2020 Notes: The collapse in oil prices and cuts in production have impacted migrants in Iraq with many losing their employment and no longer able to send remittances. According to the ILO, 95% of businesses in Iraq have suspended work due to COVID-19. Bangladesh’s embassy in Baghdad reports that more than 20,000 Bangladeshi workers have lost their jobs with some requesting that the embassy send them home. Headline: Nepal families face hunger as coronavirus crisis hits remittances Source: Al Jazeera Date: June 30, 2020 Notes: Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 56% of Nepali households received remittances, totaling more than a quarter of Nepal’s gross domestic product. However, many migrants, particularly in Gulf countries and Malaysia, have lost work, threatening their ability to send remittances. Ganesh Gurung of the Nepal Institute of Development Studies notes the importance of remittances for paying for rent, groceries, school fees, and utilities among lower-middle-class Nepali families living in urban areas. Headline: Coronavirus Victoria: experts warn against blaming migrant communities for spreading misinformation Source: The Guardian Date: June 27, 2020 Notes: Government messaging in Victoria that seems to blame misinformation on particular immigrant groups has the potential to stigmatize migrants, experts say. Associate Professor Rebecca Wickes of Monash University states, “‘It would be good to have further clarification from the government about whether they believe it’s a problem of language and misunderstanding, or whether they really do think conspiracy theories have played a part in this cluster and if so, how. This information is not coming through. We can’t just push blame onto certain groups of people.’” Headline: Greece’s Forgotten Child Refugees Source: Foreign Policy Date: June 26, 2020 Notes: Although European governments have committed to relocating at least 1,600 unaccompanied children from the Greek islands, less attention has been paid to unaccompanied children on the mainland, many of whom have seen drastic reductions in services available to them due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Children’s shelters stopped accepting new referrals, youth space and food distribution sites have scaled back. Headline: COVID-19: Tens of thousands of migrants stranded across Africa Source: Al Jazeera Date: June 28, 2020 Notes: The COVID-19 pandemic has stranded migrants across Africa without work as restrictions have limited movement. IOM is calling on governments to organize humanitarian flights to help migrants return home. Mohammed Adow reports in this video by Al Jazeera.

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Headline: Germany seeks reform of EU asylum Source: Deutsche Welle Date: June 30, 2020 Notes: With Germany soon taking over the rotating EU presidency, it will seek attempt to reform the EU asylum system, although onlookers fear that the COVID-19 pandemic may distract from the issue. This article outlines the various issues being discussed within Germany about EU asylum reform. Among those topics to be discussed is the possibility of asylum centers on the EU’s external borders that would provide a preliminary screening with the intention to identify those who are deemed not in need of international protection. Headline: Cox’s Bazar refugee camps: where social distancing is impossible Source: The Guardian Date: June 29, 2020 Notes: In addition to a board overview of the situation in Cox’s Bazar, this piece highlights the experiences of refugees living in two camps as they confront COVID-19. The article recounts the experiences of one man: “Two weeks ago, his wife began to suffer from fever and flu-like symptoms. Now, his three-year-old son and his three daughters are sick. ‘I’m worried but I don’t tell them,’ says Kalam. ‘I’m the head of the family and I don’t want to frighten them.’ He reassured them that it is just the usual flu – it is flu season in the camps – and told them not to worry about Covid-19. Going to the clinic, he adds, isn’t an option. He fears that doctors would assume they had coronavirus and immediately quarantine the family. He doesn’t know where they’d be sent.” Headline: Greece: Refugees attacked in the Aegean Source: Deutsche Welle Date: June 29, 2020 Notes: In this DW investigation, verified reports by migrants and the maritime hotline, AlarmPhone, show the Greek coast guard engaging in attacks to disable boats with migrants in Greek waters. The Greek authorities reject any assertion that it is using illegal methods to push back refugees, instead asserting that “amidst the coronavirus pandemic the country is confronted with ‘massive’ and ‘organized migration flows’ from Turkey.” Headline: Dr. Durga Sivasathiaseelan: 'Charging migrants for NHS services needs to stop' Source: The Guardian Date: June 30, 2020 Notes: In this interview with Dr. Durga Sivasathiaseelan, the author discusses barriers for undocumented migrants seeking care in the UK. Undocumented migrants can be charged for medical care through the NHS, which impacts care seeking for COVID-19. Dr. Sivasathiaseelan explains: “They don’t know Covid-19 is exempt, and even when they do, they fear going to hospital. If it turns out they don’t have Covid-19, they could get a bill. For all our sakes, charging needs to stop, not just for the pandemic, for ever.”

Compiled by Sarah Guyer